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Car rental in Kota Kinabalu

Car Hire in Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu is home to attractions like Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, Kinabalu Park, Sabah Museum, and more. Get around the city via the many car hire companies that operate within Kota Kinabalu.

Where to hire a car in Kota Kinabalu

Car hire companies that operate out of Kota Kinabalu include local car rental companies that offer great service like KK Rent A Car, AHSB Rentacar, JAS Enterprise, Kinabalu Rent A Car, Caliph Car Rental, Prima Rent A Car, Borneo Express Rent A Car, and Green Matrix Car Rental, among others. Out of Kota Kinabalu International Airport, however, some of the car hire companies that provide service include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, and Sixt.

What to expect when hiring a car from Kota Kinabalu

When within Kota Kinabalu, the city’s internal roads or state roads link to various parts. These roads are constructed and maintained by the city or state’s Public Works Department. Most, if not all, of Kota Kinabalu’s major international roads are dual-carriageways, with one of the primary roads being Jalan Lintas-Jalan Tuaran Bypass. The Jalan Lintas-Jalan Tuaran Bypass serves almost like a ring road since it circles the city and connects the districts and suburbs that surround the city. Some of the districts and suburbs connected include Putatan, Penampang Luyang, Likas, Inanam, Menggatal, Sepanggar, and Tuaran. Also, there are no freeways currently within the city of Kota Kinabalu, or any of the parts of Sabah. The city is linked by highways to other local towns, with the ways working as federal roads also maintained by the Public Works Department. The highways within the city follow a route that goes from Kota Kinabalu to other destinations like Kota Kinabalu-Tuaran-Tamparuli-Kota Belud-Kota Marudu-Pitas-Kudat; Kota Kinabalu-Penampang-(Putatan-Lok Kawi)-Papar-Beaufort-Sindumin (part of the Pan Borneo Highway); Kota Kinabalu-Penampang-Tambunan-Keningau-Tenom-Nabawan (part of the Pan Borneo Highway); and Kota Kinabalu-Tuaran-Tamparuli-Kundasang-Ranau-Telupid-Sandakan-Tawau (part of the Pan Borneo Highway).

Getting to your destination

Travel in and around Kota Kinabalu, as well as some of the nearby destinations like Putatan, Kinarut, and Papar. The driving instructions we have provided aim for an easier drive throughout Kota Kinabalu.

PutatanA town and suburb within Kota Kinabalu, Putatan is home to approximately 55,000 inhabitants and was within the Penampang district before it became a district on its own after 2007.

Reach Putatan from Kota Kinabalu go from Jalan Coastal to Jalan Kepayan for six minutes or 3.8 kilometres. Next, get down Jalan Putatan to reach Jalan Ketiau- Tombovo within Pekan Putatan, Penampang for 8.1 kilometres or ten minutes. Lastly, reach Putatan by going down Jalan Ketiau-Tombovo. Total travel time is around 19 minutes or 12.2 miles.

KinarutLocated in Sabah, Kinarut is among the stops on the Sabah State Railway and is under the administration of the Papar district. When within Kinarut, get to the weekly “tamu,” which is an open air market with native sellers, among others.
Go to Jalan Kepayan via Jalan Coastal for 3.8 kilometres, then from Jalan Putatan get to Papar after 12.9 kilometres or 15 minutes. Additionally, Kinarut can be reached after driving for another kilometre in Kawasan Perindustrian Lok Kawi. Total drive distance is 17.7 kilometres or 27 minutes.

PaparThe town and district of Papar is within the West Coast Division of Sabah. Among its tourist attractions include Beringgis Beach Resort, Dinawan Island, Kawang Forest Centre, KK Adventure Park, Mai Aman, and Utan Paradise Jungle Camp.

When driving to Papar from Kota Kinabalu, go down Jalan Datuk Chong Thian Vun to reach Jalan Coastal in Pusat Bandar Kota Kinabalu after 400 metres or two minutes. Get to Bandar Papar in Papar after a 36.9-kilometre drive from Jalan Putatan and reach the destination after another 350 metres. Papar and Kota Kinabalu are an estimated 37.6 kilometres apart from one another, requiring driving for 53 minutes to get to each point.

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